… Party seeks solution to crisis

From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

There was anarchy yesterday at the  secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, ondo State as Sticks, bottles, stones and charms were freely used during a fight beteween suspected thugs loyal to factional leaders of the party, Saka Yusuf Ogunleye and Isaac Kekemeke.
Traffic along the popular Oyemekun Road was disrupted for more than 30 minutes as the thugs engaged in a supremacy battle.
It took the intervention of policemen to dislodge the thugs.
Ogunleye is said to be loyal to governorship aspirants, Rotimi Akeredolu and Senator Robert Boroffice while Kekemeke is openly backing Olusegun Abraham for the November 26 election.
Kekemeke was accused of conniving with Senator Bola Tinubu to impose Abraham.
This led to the removal of Kekemeke and Ogunleye took over as chairman.
However, the party has summoned all actors involved in the crisis to Abuja for the resolution of the impasse.
Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mr Oji Ngofa, made this known on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the party’s weekly National Working Committee (NWC) meeting at its secretariat in Abuja.
Ngofa said that the decision to invite key players of the party in the state, including the chairman, secretary and aspirants, was to build confidence in the process.
But party leaders, who are from the Akoko division, under the aegis of Ondo APC Leaders Assembly, at a press conference in Akure, yesterday, absolved Tinubu of any wrong by supporting one of the aspirants. They said the endorsement would not affect the party’s primary election.
Chairman of the group, Chief Felix Ayegbusi, said Tinubu’s action could not be described as an imposition since every aspirant had the opportunity to participate in the primary election.
While stating that there was a clear difference between ‘endorsement and imposition’, Ayegbusi said every aspirant reserved the right to seek the endorsement of APC leaders, especially Tinubu, being the national leader of the party.
He said Abayomi, as a lawyer of no mean repute, was expected to know the difference between endorsement and imposition.
“Nobody has imposed anybody. No individual, leader or group will do so or can even do so. We reject imposition totally, but we welcome the advice that comes from the wisdom of our leaders,” he added.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party will soon be laid to rest as leaders commenced consultations.
The leaders of the party from the 18 local government areas of the state, it was gathered, met on how to end the crisis.
Daily Sun gathered that all the party’s governorship aspirants might be summoned to a meeting in order to foster love and unity among them.
It was also gathered yesterday that efforts were made to reach out to both the aggrieved aspirants and members on how to ensure peace in the party before and after the primary election.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Omooba Abayomi Adesanya confirmed that leaders of the party were intensifying efforts to resolve the crisis.
“The issue is a family affair and whatever happens is a fight between two identical twins. I have not seen any problem between two twins that cannot be resolved. So, this matter will soon be finally laid to rest with the efforts put in place by all our leaders in the state,” he said.